Amazon Prime Video is chock-full of great movies but it’s a nightmare trying to find them. Unlike Netflix which offers strong curated playlists, Prime Video does a poor job of highlighting all the amazing movies on its service. Don’t fret though, we’ve scoured the depths of Prime’s film catalogue to deliver our list of the best movies on Amazon Prime right now.
We’ll be updating this list every month as movies come and go on Prime, so be sure to check back for new, great additions!
The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now
In a Lonely Place (1950)
Written by Andrew P. Solt and Edmund H. North, Based on In a Lonely Place by Dorothy B. Hughes, Directed by Nicholas Ray
Starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame
There’s an argument to be made that Nicholas Ray’s In a Lonely Place is the greatest film noir of all-time. And that’s an astoundingly bold argument to make considering the iconic status of noirs such as The Maltese Falcon, The Third Man, and Double Indemnity.
But In a Lonely Place had something that almost no other noir had – the intimacy of a story that wasn’t hardboiled, but instead slowly cooked. The protagonist of In a Lonely Place isn’t the detective... we are. And that final shot remains one of the greatest in Hollywood history.
Amazon Prime Movies Free • In a Lonely Place Trailer
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Critic Review Highlight
“The grayest, most morally ambiguous of film noirs -- and arguably the most self-reflexive.” - J. Hoberman of the Village Voice
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart
Rocketman (2019)
Rocketman • Trailer
Written by Lee Hall, Directed by Dexter Fletcher
Starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, and Bryce Dallas Howard
Taron Egerton gives a knockout performance portraying Elton John in Rocketman – a film that explores the highs and lows of Sir Elton’s tenure in the limelight.
The production design in Rocketman is incredible. Elton John is well known for his colorful costumes on and off the stage. The wardrobing department for the film did a great job of recreating some of his most iconic outfits.
Part biopic, part musical, but undoubtedly all Elton – Rocketman certainly shoots for the stars.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The story reshuffles reality, especially time and facts, and the film is more enjoyable for it.” - Leah Pickett of the Chicago Reader
Best Comedies on Amazon Prime
Logan Lucky (2017)
Logan Lucky • Trailer
Written by Rebecca Blunt, Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Starring Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, Riley Keough, Katie Holmes, and Daniel Craig
Logan Lucky is director Steven Soderbergh’s best film since his 2001 masterpiece Ocean’s Eleven. It makes sense why the film works so well – many of the themes of the Ocean’s franchise are expanded upon here in a new setting.
Aside from a strange last scene, Logan Lucky is a thrilling ride of robbery at the race-track.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The film's comedy is loose and generous, and its esprit de corps sneaks up on you with a soft tread.” - Tim Robey of the Daily Telegraph (U.K.)
Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now
Beautiful Boy (2018)
Good Movies on Amazon Prime • Beautiful Boy Trailer
Written by Luke Davies and Felix van Groeningen, Based on Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff and Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff, Directed by Felix van Groeningen
Starring Steve Carrell, Timothee Chalamet, Maura Tierney, and Amy Ryan
Beautiful Boy offers an unflinching look at the turmoiled lives of those who struggle with addiction. The script for the film was adapted by memoirs from David Sheff (played by Steve Carrell) and Nic Sheff (played by Timothee Chalamet).
There has perhaps never been a more pertinent time to heed the optimistic message of Beautiful Boy. Over the past decade, drug overdose deaths in the United States have risen to parabolic proportions. Beautiful Boy explores the overdose phenomenon in an acutely sensitive way.
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Critic Review Highlight
“It is a film of rare emotional complexity and punch - not just wincingly sharp on the business of addiction in particular, but also a heart-piercing ode to fatherhood at large.” - Robbie Collin of The Telegraph (U.K.)
Gentrification in the Bay
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
The Last Black Man in San Francisco • Trailer
Written by Joe Talbot and Rob Richert, Directed by Joe Talbot
Starring Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Tichina Arnold, Rob Morgan, and Danny Glover
The Last Black Man in San Francisco was a product of a successful crowdfunding campaign, started by director Joe Talbot and writer/actor Jimmie Fails. In 2017, Plan B Entertainment bought into the hype and further funded the project.
The Last Black Man in San Francisco received rave reviews from critics upon release for its timely story and great performances.
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Critic Review Highlight
“It's less of a rallying cry against gentrification than a rumination on the kind of pained acceptance those who suffer its effects must face.” - Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent (U.K.)
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Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
Best Free Movies on Amazon Prime • Aguirre, The Wrath of God Trailer
Written and Directed by Werner Herzog
Starring Klaus Kinski, Helena Rojo, Ruy Guerra, Del Negro, and Peter Berling
Aguirre, the Wrath of God is an intimate picture of biblical proportions. The film follows the titled conquistador Lope de Aguirre as he voyages for control on an expedition to find the lost kingdom of El Dorado.
Klaus Kinski gives an all-time psychotic performance in the role of Aguirre... utterly magnetizing throughout. All in all, I’d argue Aguirre, the Wrath of God is perhaps the best “down by the river” movie of all-time, even better than Apocalypse Now, The African Queen, and Deliverance.
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Critic Review Highlight
“One of the great haunting visions of the cinema.” - Roger Ebert of RogerEbert.com
The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now
Cold War (2018)
Cold War • Trailer
Written by Paweł Pawlikowski, Janusz Głowacki, and Piotr Borkowski, Directed by Paweł Pawlikowski
Starring Joanna Kulig, Tomasz Kot, Borys Szyc, Agata Kulesza, Cédric Kahn, and Jeanne Balibar
Paweł Pawlikowski's post World-War II epic Cold War is a stunning picture about two lovers entangled in a changing society. Both Joanna Kulig and Tomasz Kot deliver excellent performances in the leading roles.
Cold War uses black and white cinematography to immersive effect, which creates a strong tone and visual style.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Cinematographer Lukasz Zal finds a chilly, etched beauty in every frame; you're struck by how snow seems to stroke and soften a harsh landscape, and by the poignancy of wind ruffling the grass in a quiet field.” - Moira Macdonald of The Seattle Times
Zombie Movie With New Life
Train to Busan (2016)
Train to Busan • Trailer
Written by Park Joo-suk, Directed by Yeon Sang-ho
Starring Gong Yoo, Ma Dong-seok, Jung Yu-mi, and Kim Su-an
Zombie movies have become a largely tired sub-genre due to a lack of innovation and a heavy reliance on cliches. But in 2016, Yeon Sang-ho breathed new life into the sub-genre with Train to Busan – one of the best zombie movies of the 21st century.
If you’re looking for a visceral action film that will also make your skin crawl, Train to Busan is a perfect fit.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The zombie movie takes the bullet train in Train to Busan, a smart horror that contrasts the hyper-cleanliness and efficiency of South Korean life with bloody, neck-biting chaos.” - Kate Muir of The Times (U.K.)
Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now
The King’s Speech (2010)
The Best Movies on Amazon Prime • The King’s Speech Trailer
Written by David Seidler, Directed by Tom Hooper
Starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, and Guy Pearce
Colin Firth delivered an astoundingly excellent performance as the man who would become King George VI in this 2011 Best Picture Oscar winner. The King’s Speech follows the events leading up to World War II through the vantage of the British Monarchy.
The King’s Speech relies a bit too much on historical sensationalism – but that’s okay because it’s more of a character drama than it is a non-fictional epic. Firth, director Tom Hooper, and screenwriter David Seidler all received Academy Awards for their work on the film.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The King's Speech is the rare work of art that's also an immense crowdpleaser.” - Lou Lumenick of The New York Post
Amazon Movies Literally
The Lost City of Z (2016)
The Lost City of Z • Trailer
Written and Directed by James Gray, Based on The Lost City of Z by David Grann
Starring Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, and Tom Holland
The Lost City of Z is a greatly enjoyable film for anyone who loves a good adventure. Charlie Hunnam stars in the picture as British explorer Percy Fawcett, a determined spirit who sacrifices nearly anything at the cost of finding the famed lost city of Z.
In many ways, Indiana Jones is the fictional successor to the true story of The Lost City of Z.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The never-ending jungle proves perfectly suited to the filmmaker's lush, operatic aesthetic, as does the film's central theme of escaping one's background, through whatever means necessary.” - Barry Hertz of The Globe and Mail
Hitchcock’s Prelude to War
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
The Lady Vanishes • Trailer
Written by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Laudner, Based on The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas, and Dame May Whitty
The Lady Vanishes is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most underrated films. Over the years, it’s mostly been overshadowed by his more famous films, but those looking for a classic hidden gem will likely find a lot to love.
Margaret Lockwood stars in the film as a young woman who gets caught in the crossfire of international espionage. Looking back, it’s amazing how prescient the subject matter of the film was.
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Critic Review Highlight
“This is vintage Hitchcock, with the pacing and superb editing that marked not only his 30s style but eventually every film that had any aspirations whatever to achieving suspense and rhythm.” - Don Druker of the Chicago Reader
The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now
The Squid and the Whale (2005)
The Squid and the Whale • Trailer
Written and Directed by Noah Baumbach
Starring Jeff Daniels, Laura Linney, Jesse Eisenberg, Owen Kline, William Baldwin, and Anna Paquin
The Squid and the Whale follows the story of a family in decline, dealing with the messy minutia of an ugly divorce. Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney deliver excellent performances in the leading roles of two parents coming to the realization of their own true character.
Noah Baumbach was nominated for his first Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for writing The Squid and the Whale.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The movie feels like it was written in the filmmaker's own sweat and tears.” - Desson Thomson of The Washington Post
Amazon Movies Get Dark
You Were Never Really Here (2016)
You Were Never Really Here • Trailer
Written and Directed by Lynne Ramsay, Based on You Were Never Really Here by Jonathan Ames
Joaquin Phoenix gives a tour de force performance in the awfully violent carnage-film You Were Never Really Here.
For what You Were Never Really Here lacks in narrative clarity, it makes up for in visual style, which ultimately amounts to a film that leaves a deafening imprint in the landscape of experimental filmmaking.
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Critic Review Highlight
“In the end, there's no question that what you're watching is a masterfully-made movie, albeit one that's easier to admire from afar than up close.” - Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly
Gripping Dramas on Amazon
Manchester by the Sea (2017)
Manchester by the Sea • Trailer
Written and Directed by Kenneth Lonergan
Starring Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges, Michelle Williams, and Kyle Chandler
Manchester by the Sea is a focused story of a man and his nephew who are united by the tragedy of a lost loved-one.
It’s no wonder why Casey Affleck won the Oscar for Best Lead Actor for his performance in Manchester by the Sea – it’s engrossing, nuanced, and impactful.
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Critic Review Highlight
“This is about life as it is lived in the real world, with unassuageable pain, loose ends untied, life lessons unlearned. Life with no narrative closure.” Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian
The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now
The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
Good Movies on Amazon Prime • The Man Who Fell to Earth Trailer
Written by Paul Mayersberg, Based on The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis, Directed by Nicolas Roeg
Starring David Bowie, Rip Torn, Candy Clark, Buck Henry, and Bernie Casey
The Man Who Fell to Earth is an indicting commentary on the corruption that pervades our planet. David Bowie stars as an alien who travels to Earth to find water for his drought-ridden world – but he’s slowly seduced by a hedonistic lifestyle.
All in all, The Man Who Fell to Earth is more than the “David Bowie space movie,” it’s a contemplative character drama. Oh, and let’s not forget to praise cinematographer Anthony B. Richmond for his excellent camera work as well.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The real story is less about the sci-fi and more about the weirdness on Earth, a woozy dream of greed and alcohol and betrayal, as the gentle Newton is preyed upon by hucksters and the American government.” - Kate Muir of the Times (U.K.)
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The Stranger (1946)
The Stranger • Trailer
Written by Anthony Veiller and Decla Dunning, Uncredited Writing From John Huston and Orson Welles, Based on a Story by Victor Trivas
Starring Orson Welles, Edward G. Robinson, and Loretta Young
The Stranger was one of Orson Welles’ last works before he was exiled from Hollywood and moved to Europe. As with most Orson Welles pictures, his fingerprints are over the production; he served as director, lead actor and co-writer of The Stranger.
There aren’t many movies of the World-War II era that stand up to the test of time as well as The Stranger. The Stranger is one of Welles’ best films and was one of his only majorly successful films at the box office.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The Stranger, principally, brings home the enduring theme of noir: the devastation that the second world war wreaked on the American psyche, and the silent nastiness that proliferated behind the white picket fence.” - Andrew Pulver of The Guardian
Amazon Prime Brings Classics
Charade (1963)
Charade • Trailer
Written by Peter Stone, Directed by Stanley Donen
Starring Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, and James Coburn
I absolutely love Charade. It’s so unabashedly a riff on Hitchcock thrillers that it’s hard to think that Hitchcock didn’t make the film himself. Charade is carried by Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn who command the screen with their infectious chemistry.
With a script so sharp it could cut a diamond in two, Charade is suspenseful, witty and endearing; three things that add up to make it a true masterpiece of the thriller genre.
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Critic Review Highlight
“If you haven't seen Charade, you really need to.” - Chris Nashawaty of Entertainment Weekly
The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now
Bombshell (2019)
Amazon Prime Movies Free • Bombshell Trailer
Written by Charles Randolph, Directed by Jay Roach
Starring Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, and John Lithgow
Bombshell espouses upon the sexual harassment various female staffers faced at Fox News Network over the course of decades. Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman star as real-life former Fox hosts Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson respectively.
Former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes was sued by Carlson for sexual harassment. In the wake of the lawsuit, more than a dozen women stepped forward saying they faced inappropriate behavior from Ailes too. Ailes’ attorneys refuted the accusations and the man himself died shortly after due to hemophilia.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Deep at points but paper-thin at others, the film skips over questions of complicity, and pulls some of its punches, especially politically. But it's still an engaging look at life behind the scenes of one of the weirdest workplaces in existence…” - Sheila O’Malley of Film Comment Magazine
Coen Brothers on Amazon Prime
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
Inside Llewyn Davis • Trailer
Written and Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Starring Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, and Garrett Hedlund
The Coen Brothers’ intimate period-drama Inside Llewyn Davis is a stirring recreation of the American folk music industry. Oscar Issac stars in the film as the titular character, who doesn’t quite fit in with the “changing times.”
Perhaps the best part of Inside Llewyn Davis is its soundtrack, which was largely inspired by the work of folk revivalist Dave Van Ronk.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Cold exteriors and warm interiors combine in the Coen brothers' rhapsodic portrait of a '60s folk singer.” - Adam Woodward of Little White Lies
Gus Van Sant Drama
Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot (2018)
Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot • Trailer
Written and Directed by Gus Van Sant, Based on Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot by John Callahan
Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, and Jack Black
Joaquin Phoenix stars in Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot as the late cartoonist John Callahan, who was paralyzed after a car accident at the age of 21. The film was written and directed by Gus Van Sant in 2018.
Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot strikes a strong chord that fans of Callahan’s cartoonist should surely appreciate.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Ultimately, the film functions the same way these cartoons do, through exaggeration and metaphor.” - Jake Wilson of The Age (Australia)
The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now
The Report (2019)
The Report • Trailer
Written and Directed by Scott Z. Burns
Starring Adam Driver, Annette Benning, Ted Levine, Michael C. Hall, Jon Hamm, Tim Blake Nelson, Maura Tierney and Corey Stoll
They say that history is written by the victor, but in this case, history was redacted by those in power. The Report is a film that aimed to expose CIA corruption to the masses, but unfortunately, it got lost in the 2019 Oscar season shuffle.
Adam Driver commands the screen in the role of former FBI investigator Daniel Jones, while Annette Bening gives a masterful performance portraying U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. To this day, the full Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture remains classified.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Director Scott Z Burns captures the events in a cold, rigorously factual, and largely dispassionate manner. But that's the point.” - Clarisse Loughrey of The Independent (U.K.)
Indie Darling Debut
Resolution (2013)
Resolution • Trailer
Written by Justin Benson, Directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Scott Moorhead
Starring Peter Ciella, Vinny Curran, Zahn McClarnon, and Bill Oberst Jr.
Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead have emerged as one of the most exciting young filmmaking duos in American cinema. Their feature debut Resolution is a tense horror film that is as mind-bending as it is thought-provoking.
Benson and Moorhead’s 2017 film The Endless is a spiritual successor to Resolution. Although the film isn’t outwardly “sci-fi,” if you like science fiction, you’ll probably like Resolution.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Resolution makes its own creative crisis the star, trying to make something original out of elements so hackneyed, the filmmakers can't bear to reproduce them.” - Scott Tobias of the AV Club
Superhero Team-Up on Prime
The Avengers (2012)
The Avengers • Trailer
Written and Directed by Joss Whedon, Based on The Avengers by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby
Starring Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johannson, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, and Tom Hiddleston
Avengers assemble: your favorite Marvel superheroes are now available to view on Prime. At the time of its release, The Avengers was the biggest movie in the world. This was before Star Wars came back, and long before “the greatest superhero team-up film” Avengers: Infinity War was released.
The Avengers screenplay laid the groundwork for bringing together the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it will forever be regarded as one of the most important commercial films ever made.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The light, amusing bits cannot overcome the grinding, hectic emptiness, the bloated cynicism that is less a shortcoming of this particular film than a feature of the genre.” - A. O. Scott of The New York Times
The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now
Midsommar (2019)
Amazon Prime Movies Free • Midsommar Trailer
Written and Directed by Ari Aster
Starring Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, William Jackson Harper, and Will Poulter
Midsommar follows a college couple’s venture into Sweden for a not-too-subtly cultish midsummer festival. The picture takes some obvious inspiration from the classic horror film The Wicker Man but offers its own spin with (arguably) more character depth.
With Midsommar, writer/director Ari Aster established himself as more than a one-hit wonder. Cinema circles are eagerly awaiting where he takes his singular vision next.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Ari Aster's approach to horror filmmaking seeps into your subconsciousness with great effect, lingering like an uninvited guest.” - Wenlei Ma of News.com
Emotionally Charged Gangster Movie
Ash is Purest White (2018)
Ash is Purest White • Trailer
Written and Directed by Jia Zhangke
Starring Zhao Tao and Liao Fan
Ash is Purest White is a remarkably “modern” gangster movie from the mind of Jia Zhangke. Both Zhao Tao and Liao Fan give excellent performances in the roles of two combative lovers.
Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of Ash is Purest White is its breathtaking cinematography, composed by Eric Gautier. Be warned though: Ash is Purest White may leave you speechless after the credits roll.
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Critic Review Highlight
“This is one of Zhangke's peak achievements: pure cinema, and a story of the underworld unlike anything you've seen before.” - Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune
Pattinson on Prime
High Life (2019)
High Life • Trailer
Written by Claire Denis and Jean-Pol Fargeau, Directed by Claire Denis
Starring Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, and Mia Goth
The Robert Pattinson renaissance is in full swing, evident by his starring roles in films like Good Time, The Lighthouse, and yes, High Life. If you’re expecting High Life to be anything like Pattinson’s early works, you’re in for a rude surprise.
High Life is an intimate sci-fi story with a brilliant plot. Sadly, the film never quite finds its footing. But still, due to some brilliant cinematography and a great performance from Pattinson, High Life is worth checking out.
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Critic Review Highlight
“A movie that is always vaguely interesting but that, here and there, finds ways to be brilliant in a wonderfully twisted way…” - Mick LaSalle of The San Francisco Chronicle
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His Girl Friday (1940)
50 Best Movies on Amazon Prime • His Girl Friday Trailer
Written by Charles Lederer and Ben Hecht, Directed by Howard Hawks
Starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell
Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell star in this classic picture from Howard Hawks in which a newspaper editor tries desperately to keep his wife from remarrying.
The screenplay for His Girl Friday is regarded as one of the medium's earliest masterworks. Today, His Girl Friday comes across as cheesy and even pretentious – but that’s a testament to how much it’s been parodied; including most recently in the animated show Bojack Horseman.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Perhaps the funniest, certainly the fastest talkie comedy ever made.” - Geoff Andrew of Time Out
Concert Classic on Prime
Stop Making Sense (1984)
Stop Making Sense • Trailer
Written by Talking Heads and Jonathan Demme, Directed by Jonathan Demme
Featuring Talking Heads
Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense is a documentary feature that showcases the legendary Talking Heads concert of the same name.
The film is filled with frenetic energy from start to finish. Few “concert films” feel as realistic as Demme’s classic Stop Making Sense.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The overwhelming impression throughout Stop Making Sense is of enormous energy, of life being lived at a joyous high.” - Roger Ebert of RogerEbert.com
The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now
Casino Royale (2006)
Casino Royale • Trailer
Written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Paul Haggis, Based on Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, Directed by Martin Campbell
Starring Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, and Judi Dench
Daniel Craig inherited the iconic role of James Bond in this high-stakes thriller from Martin Campbell. Casino Royale is a constantly engrossing film that succeeds in large part due to a signature villainous performance from Mads Mikkelsen.
Call me crazy but I think Casino Royale is by far and away the best of Craig’s Bond films.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Casino Royale has the answers to all my complaints about the 45-year-old James Bond series, and some I hadn't even thought of.” - Roger Ebert of the RogerEbert.com
The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Right Now
Romancing the Stone (1984)
Amazon Prime Movies Free • Romancing the Stone Trailer
Written by Dianne Thomas, Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring Michael Douglass, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, Alfonso Arau, and Manuel Ojeda
Romancing the Stone is the sort of pulp action-thriller that scratches a very particular cinematic itch. If you’re willing to suspend disbelief, plot contrivances, and criticisms, then you’ll probably enjoy Romancing the Stone.
But be warned: this isn’t Indiana Jones or even Escape from New York – Romancing the Stone is ridiculous to a near parody degree.Best Movies on Amazon Prime
Critic Review Highlight
“After all the Raiders rip-offs, it's fun to find an adventure film that deserves the comparison, that has the same spirit and sense of humor.” - Roger Ebert of RogerEbert.com
‘How Long Have We Been on this Rock?’
The Lighthouse (2019)
The Lighthouse • Trailer
Written by Robert Eggers and Max Eggers, Directed by Robert Eggers
Starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe
Director Robert Eggers made a name for himself with his 2015 film The Witch. His second feature, The Lighthouse, proved that he wasn’t just a one-hit wonder. Much can be said about Eggers’ decision to shoot the film in a square 19:16 aspect ratio, but what he does put in the frame is often brilliant.
The Lighthouse is a movie that demands repeat viewings and close attention to detail.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The Lighthouse is a pressure-cooker.” - David Sexton of the London Evening Standard
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Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Best Rated Movies on Amazon Prime • Battleship Potemkin Trailer
Written by Nina Agadzhanova, Sergei Eisenstein, Nikolai Aseyev, and Sergei Tretyakov
Starring Aleksandr Antonov, Vladimir Barksy, and Grigori Aleksandrov
Take a walk up the Odessa steps and tune into Battleship Potemkin; one of the most influential films of all-time. Battleship Potemkin is widely regarded as the most emblematic film of Soviet Montage Theory.
Battleship Potemkin may come across as obtuse to modern audiences, but it’s impact on world culture has been near-endless nonetheless. For a portal into the past, check out Sergei Eisenstein’s magnum opus Battleship Potemkin.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The cinema's first modernist... was the Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein. As his most famous work, Battleship Potemkin, from 1925, shows, his analytical, quasi-scientific methods bore the mark of both aesthetic and political upheavals.” - Richard Brody of The New Yorker, via Rotten Tomatoes
Amazon Prime Originals
The Big Sick (2017)
The Big Sick • Trailer
Written by Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, Directed by Michael Showalter
Starring Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter, and Ray Romano
It takes a heart of stone not to love The Big Sick. The script for the film was written by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon and is based on the true story of the couple’s journey from a casual relationship to the throws of love.
In the face of tragedy, Nanjiani and Gordon deliver a story of absolute resilience that unites people across cultures.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The Big Sick finds plots by losing them. That's its genius. One moment we are in an ethnic satire; the next a romcom; the next a hospital comedy-drama. But that's existence.” - Nigel Andrews of the Financial Times
In the Shadow of War
Last Flag Flying (2017)
Last Flag Flying • Trailer
Written by Richard Linklater and Darryl Ponicsan, Based on Last Flag Flying by Darryl Ponicsan, Directed by Richard Linklater
Starring Steve Carrell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne
Is there any filmmaker in the world who’s slept on more than Richard Linklater? It’s not hyperbole to say that he’s made four or five of the best films of the past 30 years.
But even after all his success, Linklater’s name is rarely mentioned in the same breath of Tarantino, Nolan, or Paul Thomas Anderson. Last Flag Flying is one of Linklater’s most recent features and stars Steve Carrell, Laurence Fishburne, and Bryan Cranston as three marines united due to tragedy.
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Critic Review Highlight
“For all its seeming modesty, this is a mature, contemplative and mostly rewarding experiment: no awards-season bruiser, but a worthwhile B-side for Ashby's venerable American classic.” - Robbie Collin of the Daily Telegraph (U.K.)
Prime Jarmusch Movies
Paterson (2016)
Trailer • Paterson
Written and Directed by Jim Jarmusch
Starring Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Barry Shabaka Henley, and Cliff Smith
Jim Jarmusch directs this off-beat drama about a man named Paterson who drives a bus in a town called Paterson. Few movies in recent memory recreate small-town America with as intricate of detail as Paterson does.
Paterson is a captivating film about society, poetry and the human spirit – and it’s a film that came across at the right time.
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Critic Review Highlight
“A filmmaker telling his story in pictures and the limitlessness of control he brings to his art. What more can one ask of cinema?” - Scott Marks of the San Diego Reader
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The Vast of Night (2019)
Prime Video Movies • The Vast of Night Trailer
Written by James Montague and Craig W. Sanger, Directed by Andrew Patterson
Starring Sierra McCormick and Jake Horowitz
Andrew Patterson’s feature directorial debut The Vast of Night is a period piece science fiction film that attempts to transcend common genre tropes.
The Vast of Night is a lesson in endurance. In a conversation with Steven Soderbergh, Patterson said his film was rejected by just about every film festival before being accepted by Sundance. The film received rave reviews from critics upon its release on Amazon Prime Video.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Working with a minuscule budget, Patterson pulls off a feat as amazing as any flying saucer.” - Barry Hertz of Globe and Mail
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Ernest and Celestine (2012)
Ernest and Celestine • Trailer
Written by Daniel Pennac, Directed by Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, and Benjamin Renner
English Voice Cast: Forest Whitaker, Mackenzie Foy, Lauren Bacall, and Paul Giamatti
Ernest and Celestine is a tender animated movie about a bear and a mouse who can’t be friends due to societal demands. The visuals of Ernest and Celestine are absolutely beautiful – featuring pastel-like watercolor drawings.
Although Ernest and Celestine was originally released in French, the English dub is the only version available on Prime.
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Critic Review Highlight
“A sweet-natured tale of an unlikely friendship between a burly bear and a plucky mouse. It's also decidedly offbeat with an emphasis on animal dentistry.” - Claudia Puig of USA Today
21st Century Murder Mystery
Knives Out (2019)
Knives Out • Trailer
Written and Directed by Rian Johnson
Starring Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, and Toni Collette
No doubt one of the best movies of 2019, Knives Out proved that writer/director Rian Johnson may be better suited to make films outside of the Star Wars universe. Johnson does his best Agatha Christie impression with Knives Out, swapping out the famous fictional detective Hercule Poirot for Benoit Blanc.
Knives Out features a rock-star ensemble cast and a sharp script. A spiritual successor to Knives Out has officially been revealed, and Craig is slated to return in the starring role.
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Critic Review Highlight
“An entertainment that's as smart, witty, stylish and exhilarating as any movie lover could wish for.” - Joe Morgenstern of The Wall Street Journal
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Stagecoach (1939)
What are the best Movies on Amazon Prime Video? • Stagecoach Trailer
Written by Dudley Nichols, Based on “The Stage to Lordsburg” by Ernest Haycox, Directed by John Ford
Starring Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell, and Louise Platt
John Ford’s classic western Stagecoach is one of the first masterworks of American cinema. It tells the story of a stagecoach – strange cast of characters in tow – travelling a transit from Tonto to Lordsburg.
Stagecoach certainly succeeds as a lesson in filmmaking – but perhaps its greatest strength lies in its historical detail. This is a story of the past told with bumps and bruises – neither indicting nor endorsing the tumultuous history it entails.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Directorially, production is John Ford in peak form, sustaining interest and suspense throughout, and presenting exceptional characterizations. Picture is a display of photographic grandeur.” - Variety staff
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The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
The Peanut Butter Falcon • Trailer
Written and Directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Zack Gottsagen, and Dakota Johnson
The Peanut Butter Falcon is an atypical road-trip movie about two young men – one petty thief and one aspiring wrestler with Down’s Syndrome – who help each other get to where they need to go.
2019 was a great year for Shia LaBeouf’s career. He received widespread acclaim for writing/starring in Honey Boy as well as for his performance in The Peanut Butter Falcon.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The Peanut Butter Falcon gets two cheers... for its redemptive warmth and a troupe of actors unfailingly bringing out the best in each other.” - Tim Robey of the Daily Telegraph (U.K.)
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Love and Mercy (2015)
Love and Mercy • Trailer
Written by Michael Alan Lerner and Oren Moverman, Directed by Bill Pohlad
Starring Paul Dano, John Cusack, Elizabeth Banks, and Paul Giamatti
Love and Mercy is a nuanced portrait of the life of Beach Boys’ mastermind Brian Wilson. Paul Dano and John Cusack portray Wilson in the film in a dual-role; and both actors do an excellent job.
Many people know The Beach Boys as the symbol for 1960’s surf-rock, but few know what was going on behind the scenes during the group’s meteoric rise. Love and Mercy shows the making-of and the fallout of one of the greatest albums ever made: Pet Sounds.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Love & Mercy, Bill Pohlad's ingenious biopic of Beach Boy Brian Wilson, approaches its subject from a very unusual direction... ear-first.” - Geoffrey Macnab of the Independent (U.K.)
Prime Action Movies
Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
Mission: Impossible - Fallout • Trailer
Written and Directed by Christopher McQuarrie
Starring Tom Cruise, Henry Cavill, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, and Rebecca Ferguson
The Mission: Impossible films are everything big-budget cinema should be; fast-paced, well-made and invigorating to watch. After over twenty years in the role of Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise has shown no signs of slowing down.
In addition, Henry Cavill (and his infamous mustache) does a great job of supporting the action with a great performance. Mission: Impossible - Fallout may very well be the best film in the world famous spy series.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Whether you're a hardcore fan of these films or not, there's more than enough wow factor to leave a lasting impression.” - Mark Daniell of the Toronto Sun
Fraternal Fight Night
Warrior (2011)
Warrior • Trailer
Written by Gavin O’Connor, Anthony Tambakis, and Cliff Dorfman
Starring Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Morrison, Frank Grillo, and Nick Nolte
Warrior was largely overshadowed by another fighting movie released around the same time – David O. Russell’s The Fighter. Both films were great, but the latter definitely stole a lot of the former’s thunder.
Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton star across one another in Warrior as two brothers competing at a mixed martial arts tournament and Nick Nolte received considerable praise for his performance in the role of the two fighter’s alcoholic father.
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Critic Review Highlight
“It's too corny to live. But the picture is a slam dunk. I mean a ground-and-pound double-leg takedown. It's really gripping.” - David Edelstein of Vulture/New York Magazine
Familiar, Formulaic, but Fun
Creed II (2018)
Creed II • Trailer
Written by Juel Taylor and Sylvester Stallone, Directed by Steven Caple Jr.
Starring Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, and Tessa Thompson
Although it wasn’t quite as good the 2015 franchise reboot Creed, Creed II is sure to scratch that “Rocky” itch for fans of the series. Michael B. Jordan does a good job in the lead role of Adonis Creed, the son of series favorite Apollo Creed.
Forty-two years after the release of the original Rocky, Sylvester Stallone returned to co-write the screenplay and act in Creed II.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Creed II fits the mold of every Rocky sequel-competent, entertaining, and a little passionless.” - David Sims of The Atlantic
Don’t Dance With the Devil
The Wailing (2016)
The Wailing • Trailer
Starring Kwak Do-won, Hwang Jung-min, Chun Woo-hee
Na Hong-jin directs the film, which follows the events of a small village ravaged by a mysterious infection that causes people to kill their families.
The Wailing received a lot of critical acclaim when it came out in 2016 – and for good reason, the film is tense, thrilling, and tough to watch. Few horror films in recent years have stuck with me quite like The Wailing.
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Critic Review Highlight
“The layers of dissembling and self-dissembling pile up so thickly that not only does Na evidently touch on something integral about the nature of evil, but actually seems to be in the process of summoning it before your eyes.” - Phil Hoad of The Guardian
Amazon Prime Movies Free
Mid90s (2018)
Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video • Mid90s Trailer
Written and Directed by Jonah Hill
Starring Sunny Juljic, Lucas Hedges, Na-Kel Smith, and Olan Prenatt
Jonah Hill broke out in a major way with his first directorial feature Mid90s. The film follows a group of reckless skater youths who coast from place to place high, intoxicated, or both.
Mid90s shares more than a few similarities to the cult classic mid-90s film Kids – but did you know Harmony Korine, the screenwriter of Kids, appears in Mid90s? A nice homage from Hill to acknowledge a pioneer of a very specific sect of cinema.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Mid90s is alive to the debauchery and obnoxiousness of teenagers, but also to their warmth and loyalty.” - Ed Potton of the Times (U.K.)
Meta-Biopic Movies on Amazon Prime
Honey Boy (2019)
Honey Boy • Trailer
Written by Shia LaBeouf, Directed by Alma Har’el
Starring Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe, and FKA Twigs
Few American celebrities have had as polarizing of a time in the limelight as Shia LaBeouf. At just fourteen years old, LaBeouf accrued national fame for starring in the Disney Channel original series Even Stevens. In the near two decades since, LaBeouf has starred in blockbuster hits like Transformers, but has also struggled mightily with alcohol abuse and arrests.
One such arrest led to court-ordered rehab, where LaBeouf wrote the autobiographical script for Honey Boy; an unflinchingly intimate story of familial turmoil, love and the effect of stardom.
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Critic Review Highlight
“LaBeouf is so revelatory as both writer and actor that the film defies cynicism about its second purpose as celebrity image management. It just makes you excited about the work.” - Inkoo Kang of Slate
Amazon Prime Movies
The Farewell (2018)
The Farewell • Trailer
Written and Directed by Lulu Wang
Starring Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, and Zhao Shu-zhen
The Farewell is largely based on a true story from the life of writer/director Lulu Wang, in which her family hides their grandmother’s medical illness from her.
Awkwafina is terrific starring in the film as Billi, a character who serves as a conduit for Wang’s experiences.
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Critic Review Highlight
“When each of us contains multitudes, "The Farewell" suggests, home is everywhere, or anywhere we happen to be.” - Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post
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Instant Family (2018)
Best Movies on Prime • Instant Family Trailer
Written by Sean Anders and John Morris, Directed by Sean Anders
Starring Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne, and Isabela Moner
Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne deliver emotionally charged performances in this film about two parents who adopt a group of three siblings.
Instant Family may be a little cheesy – but it boasts a heartwarming message. In a time of seeming constant turmoil, we could all use a reminder of the power of family.
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Critic Review Highlight
“For all its formula, Instant Family is a winning confection, unafraid to go to unexpected dramatic places and elevated by Byrne's gift as a comedy foil and Moner's lively but subtle turn.” - Ian Freer of Empire Magazine
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Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm • Trailer
Written by Peter Baynham, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jena Friedman, Anthony Hines, Lee Kern, Dan Mazer, Erica Rivinoja, and Dan Swimer, Based on Borat Sagdiyev by Sacha Baron Cohen, Directed by Jason Woliner
Starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Maria Bakalova
14 years after originally making an indelible imprint on American culture as Borat, Sacha Baron Cohen returned to the iconic role to address critical issues of 2020.
Borat Subsequent Moviefilm isn’t nearly as scathing as the original but it’s still a wildly daring exercise in filmmaking. Watching the film is the opposite of catharsis – it’s outrage-inducing. Ultimately, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm proves we still have a long way to go to make the world a better place – even if the film’s title character starts to heed that message.
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Critic Review Highlight
“Like it or hate it, the second Borat film, like the first one, offers the captivating quality of a train wreck or fatal car crash - even when you're horrified, you can't look away.” - James Berardinelli of Reelviews
Up Next
Best Movies on Netflix - Updated Monthly
Still looking for something else to watch? Don’t worry, Netflix might have the perfect film for you. In this next article, we break down the best movies that are on Netflix right now by looking at acting, filmmaking, writing and watchability.
Up Next: Best Movies on Netflix →
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